Fantasia
by aspaceboi
Summary: Fantasia: a musical composition with a free form and often an improvisatory style An A/U idea that I had where Izuku basically writes a piece of music after Ochaco, who is his unknowing muse, and they fall in love. None of it works out as Izuku expected. He might just be okay with that.
1. Chapter 1

The staff paper stared back at him, taunting him like a playground bully. Kacchan came to mind at first. He and his friends came and had pushed him to the ground, making fun of his meager attempts at composition. Of course, Kacchan had kind of matured since elementary school and wouldn't do that now, but Izuku couldn't help but picture the other boy as his own brash inner critic. Izuku never told him that he could already picture the smug satisfaction on his best friend's face.

Still, even the Kacchan in his head couldn't inspire him to get any notes down onto the paper. Instead of doing actual work, Izuku spun around in his chair for a while, about fifteen minutes, in fact. Then he browsed through a music meme subreddit. After all, Midoriya Izuku was a man of class, a connoisseur. What other way would he receive inspiration?

After about five hours of totally being productive, he finally decided to go get coffee. And, a change of environment might do him some good. Izuku grabbed his backpack, put on his signature bright red shoes, and headed out the door he sent a text to Kacchan, though he knew his friend-become-roommate wouldn't be back for another four or five hours. Still the last time Izuku disappeared without telling him, Kacchan nearly went on a warpath, sending him over ten angry, worried texts. He didn't blame him. Izuku's talents included having perfect pitch and breaking bones. In addition to that, Izuku hated the feeling of imminent death, so he always made sure to send Katsuki a text whenever he went off on his own. Izuku chuckled. As much as  
Kacchan denied it, he really did care.

UA University's campus was a sprawling expanse of lecture halls, fast fast food restaurants, various fields of neatly cut grass, and much more. Luckily, the freshman dorms were nearly in the center of the hub, and it took nearly no time for Izuku to find a cafe within walking distance. With headphones, blasting Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue", he entered the cafe, feeling instant relief from the sweltering heat.

The place wasn't as crowded as he thought it would be for the time of day it was. People must have been in class still. Izuku was relieved. He had never been much of a people person.

He had never really been much of a coffee drinker. Upon first glance, there wasn't really much that he found appealing. And, there were only three people in front of him in line. He heart began to pound as he realized that he yet again faced looking like he had no idea what he was doing. Finally, it was his turn.

"W-What do you recommend for a non-coffee-drinker?" he asked the bored girl at the  
cash register.

"We have all of those."

She pointed to a board that read "TEAS" in bold font. Izuku's face burned.

"Heh, I didn't see that.."

"I figured," the cashier replied. She drummed her garish pink nails on the counter.

"Uh, I'll take... that one! " he pointed to the first one he saw, his voice cracking like it did when he was back in junior high.

"That'll be five hundred yen."

Shakily, he grabbed the money from his wallet, hoping that it wasn't soaked from his sweaty hands.

Have a good day," she said, lacking the expected enthusiasm. He exited the line and found a booth in a dark corner, out of the path of the hot afternoon sun. He pulled out his staff paper and stared, hoping that notes would magically appear on the paper. Izuku checked his phone. There were no texts from Kacchan. He scrolled through his playlist until he found something he wanted to listen to, figuring that if he had music playing, he could get inspiration that way. Eventually, his waiter came by with his drink. Steam wafted from his mug.

"Huh? I don't remember ordering this hot," Izuku thought. He didn't have the heart to correct the waiter though. He embarrassed himself enough for one day. Instead, Izuku thanked him and turned his attention back to his paper.

He absently tapped keys on an imaginary keyboard, playing notes that no one could hear but him.

"F-sharp...no. Of course, I have to figure out if I want a major or a minor key."

One of the things Izuku had always loved about music were the endless possibilities. A group of notes could become a symphony, a chorale. It was like a jigsaw puzzle, except the composer cut out the pieces and decided how they would fit together, much like an inventor building a machine. If he listened hard enough, he could hear it in the traffic on the street, in the small talk made by groups of students as they rushed to class, the sound of the ocean as it ate away at cliffs. Whenever he heard it, Izuku always found himself trapped in its embrace.

But right now, he struggled to find any music within himself that was worthy enough to write down on his paper. He took a sip of his tea, which had cooled considerably. (Why did he buy hot tea during the hottest time of year, anyway?) His hand inched toward his phone, almost unconsciously. It opened to a page on Reddit.

"Might as well," he said, deciding that his efforts were worthless at this point.

That was when _she_ walked into the room. She was wearing a pair of shorts and a  
UA shirt, common apparel for a student that attended the university. She seemed to be a bit shorter than him. At least, that's what it looked like from where he was sitting. The girl was carrying a backpack covered in an assortment of patches. The only one he could really make out was a NASA patch. What really caught his attention though, was the way the sun made her bobbed hair glow like a copper-gold halo. Her light tan skin also seemed to glow with a radiance that made Izuku wonder why a goddess would bother to walk among jaded, tired college students.

She finished ordering and turned to find a seat. Izuku quickly turned away, hoping she didn't find him staring. Luckily, she didn't notice him-girls rarely did-and found a seat on the opposite side of the cafe.

Izuku replayed music in his head, trying to pick something that could fit the girl's aesthetic. "Venus, the bringer of Peace," by Gustav Holst came to mind, as did "Intermezzo". They were a start, but none of them quite fit her. Izuku glanced down at his empty staff paper again. Nothing fit. She was in a league of her own, and unfortunately, it was a league he could never hope to be in.

His phone vibrated, snapping him out of his reverie. His mom's contact picture popped up in his notifications.

Mom: _Hi Izuku! I miss you! How have classes been? I know you're probably busy, so call me back whenever you get the chance!_

Me: _Hey mom! Classes have been good, especially my intro to music class. I think that one's my favorite so far! _

Me: _I'll call you soon!_

He packed up his things and hurried back to his dorm, worried that the inspiration that he just received would leave him as soon as it came. He said goodbye to the girl in his head, hoping that he would see her around.

In Izuku's dreams that night, mystery girl was the first person he saw. She was standing under a tree and she was speaking something that he couldn't quite decipher. As far as he knew, she didn't notice him, in his disembodied existence A her mouth was open, forming words that he couldn't decipher at first. Then, more of her surroundings became visible and vibrant, and Izuku could see that she was looking up at the moon. He could finally hear what she was saying, or more like _singing. _He couldn't understand what language she was singing in, but it was melancholy, like no matter how much she sang for the moon, it would never acknowlege her.

"What a shame," he said. "The moon should be singing to you instead."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a few days since Izuku had first spotted his muse. He went to that same cafe everyday after class, hoping to see her again, becoming somewhat of a regular there. He even knew the names of a few drinks, and what a tall, grande, and a venti were. The way Izuku saw it, he was one step closer to becoming an official college student. Now, all he needed was more than one friend.

Izuku sat in his favorite spot in the back of the cafe, hoping for some luck. The girl hadn't shown up in two days. Of course, she probably other stuff to, like homework, or hang out with friends. A boyfriend maybe. Izuku shook his head. It wasn't really his business. After all, he actually hadn't talked to her before, nothing more than an afterthought in her life.

About half of the sheet of staff paper was filled with notes tentatively ordered into a melody. It was nothing special so far, but it was something. Unfortunately, he was running out of steam, and fast. It was similar coming down from a coffee high, something he was becoming all too familiar with already. It was a struggle, he decided, but at least he didn't play the viola.

Dark clouds were gathering outside. It was probably a good idea to get back to his dorm before it started raining; he didn't have an umbrella. After putting all of his stuff away, he rushed outside. Above him, some sunlight filtered through the rather foreboding clouds. So distracted he was, that he didn't notice that he was about to walk right into someone.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" he said after they collided.

"No! I'm sorry! I wasn't paying attention!" a higher-pitched voice said.

Izuku looked up and was shocked to see the girl that he had been kind of stalking for the past few days. Several feelings passed through him at once, admiration, embarrassment, fear, and suddenly, Izuku was at a loss for words. He slipped by her and then sprinted in the opposite direction, gaining the looks of several confused onlookers. He thought she called after him, but it was too late to turn back now. He had already made a fool of himself.

When he got back, he nearly slammed the door behind him and slumped against the wall.

Woah, he thought, I talked to a girl.

"Hey loser, why're you standing there like a weirdo?"

"Oh, h-hey Kacchan! You know, I'm just hangin' out."

"Why do you look so sweaty?"

"I went for a run?"

Kacchan narrowed his eyes. He didn't press any further, and Izuku was glad.

"Anyways," Kacchan said, "I got invited to hang out at some rich girl's house, and you're coming with me."

"H-huh?"

The only thing Izuku hated more than strangers, were multiple strangers in one place, trying to make conversation.

"I'm not going to let you sit in here like some fucking hermit-"

"Two hundred yen."

Izuku pointed to a jar that sat atop Kacchan's nightstand. It was already a third full and it had only been a week since Izuku had somehow convinced Kacchan that the swear jar was a good idea.

"Shut your whore mouth, I'm trying to-"

"Two hundred more."

Katsuki sighed, sending a glower Izuku's way.

"Look, you need to get out more. I won't always be around, you know?"

"You make it sound like you're going to die, or something…"

"Just… try. Besides, there's free food. Probably a grand piano. Rich people have shit like that."

Izuku sent him another look.

"We're not fu- freaking five. Anyways," Kacchan grabbed a pale yellow button up shirt and chucked it at him.

"I can't just go to a party because of the slight chance she'll own a grand piano," he said, though the thought of free food enticed him more and more.

"Your mom will be sad once she finds out that you're not making any friends."

Kacchan smirked. He knew each and every one of Izuku's weaknesses, and was content to poke and prod at them until he got his way. It was probably just revenge for subjecting him to something so juvenile as a swear jar.

"Looks like we've reached an impasse," Izuku said, changing into his shirt. Kacchan placed six hundred yen into the jar.

The two took a bus that eventually stopped at a large house outside of town. The two were welcomed by a tall gate and some ancient-looking trees. Behind the gate, Izuku could make out the outline of a large western style home. His view was obstructed by the trees and the gate, but as far as he could tell, the house could fit at least three of his and his mom's apartment inside.

"Hey, we're here Ponytail. Let us in," Kacchan said to someone over the phone.

Soon, he heard the clicking of high heels and the gate opened, revealing a tall young woman in a white blouse and red skirt. Her glossy black hair framed her pretty face. Red lips curled into a glad, if not a bit strained-smile when she saw the two of them.

"Bakugou, I told you I don't like being called that."

She turned to Izuku, who at this point was looking at the ground.

"You must be Bakugou's friend! I'm Yaoyorozu Momo."

She held out a hand for him to shake and Izuku took it, glad that he wiped his sweaty palms on his pants beforehand.

"I'm M-Midoryia Izuku. It's nice to meet you!" he said, taking pride in the fact that he only stuttered once.

She led them inside, through hallways lined with paintings and artifacts of all kinds. Izuku couldn't help but gawk. This stuff was probably worth more than him. Kacchan had a similar, if not more subdued, expression on his face. They glanced at each other, as if to say, "This girl is loaded."

Finally, they reached a room where a larger group of people congregated. It was Izuku's worst nightmare.

The first one to notice them was a guy with spiky red hair.

"Bakugou! You made it!"

He came up and clapped Kacchan on the shoulder. Kacchan scowled.

"Oi, Shitty-Hair, your yelling is loud enough to wake the fucking dead."

Izuku snickered as Kacchan realized his mistake.

"I just gave you six hundred yen, Deku-"

"Oh hey, you got your friend to come! I'm Kirishima-"

"You're so annoying-"

"H-hi, I'm Midoriya."

By then, the rest of the group noticed the two new arrivals and came to introduce themselves. Izuku grinned and bared it as well as he could. At least, he did until _she _walked up to him. He felt the color drain from his face as she approached him, seemingly oblivious. Kacchan watched their interaction, a dangerous interest on his face.

"Hey," she said. "What are the odds we would meet at a place like this, huh?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Oh!"

She reached into the pocket of her pale yellow sundress. Izuku tried not to focus on the fact that they were matching.

"When we bumped into each other, you dropped these!"

"Oh! I didn't even notice they were missing until now! Thank you!"

"I'm Uraraka Ochako! I didn't get to introduce myself because you kinda ran away…"

Izuku's felt like his face must have been one thousand degrees. Kacchan stared at him with understanding. He smirked.

"I'm sorry about that! I…"

"It's okay!" she said. "I can see that you're a nice guy!"

She grinned, and Izuku felt like he was looking into the sun, a lot like on the first day that he saw her in the cafe.

"I'm Midoriya Izuku, by the way."

"Honored to meet you, Midoriya Izuku."

"So, um, what are you majoring in?"

"I'm majoring in aerospace engineering!"

"Wow! That sounds really hard!"

"Yeah… but I think it'll be worth it! I wanted to be an astronomer originally, but there aren't many jobs out there, so I thought, why not engineering, ya know?"

"That makes sense…"

"What about you?"

"I'm a music major."

"Wow! Really?"

Kacchan, who had apparently been paying attention to the whole exchange decided to cut in at that instant.

"Yeah, the guy is fu-freakin' Mozart."

"I-I wouldn't say that…"

"Bullshit-"

"Two hundred more yen, Kacchan."

Uraraka giggled.

"Whatever. You should hear him play piano."

"What? You play piano?" Kirishima caught wind of the conversation and rushed over. "Really man? That's cool!"

"I think Yaoyorozu-kun has a piano," another girl-Asui-said.

"Yes, we do. There's a grand piano in the next room."

"You should play us something!"

"Yeah, I bet you're really good dude!"

The room was abuzz with excitement. Izuku wanted to say no very badly.

"Please, Midoriya-kun?" Uraraka asked. She was giving him puppy eyes, lips formed into a pout. Who was he to say no to that?

"O-okay! I will!"

Everyone cheered and Yaoyorozu lead them to the next room. Izuku approached the grand piano, deciding that Uraraka was much too powerful.

He sat down on the bench, shakily placing his fingers on the keys. He had an idea of what he would play, something he had learned over the summer, but he had never played it in front of anyone. He let out a breath and looked to his audience, their expectant eyes bored into him.

_I don't know if I can do this_, he thought. But then his eyes met warm brown ones and for some reason, all the weight left his back.

Soon, a series of notes sounded as he began to play. Izuku savored the feeling of the keys under his fingers. It was a lot different than playing his digital keyboard, or even the old, out-of-tune pianos in the campus practice rooms. The keys were pleasantly heavy and the piano produced a full sound. It spurred him on.

The song increased in intensity, and Izuku found himself moving with the notes. His audience no longer mattered. It was only him and the music, like they were old friends. The song began to reach the end, and Izuku was aware of his surroundings again. Everyone was quiet. Izuku wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Told you he was Mozart," Kacchan said.

Izuku flushed when everyone else agreed, even Uraraka. Now, at least, he knew what his muse's name was.

* * *

**A/N: As you can see, I tried to make Kacchan nicer, but with the same personality. I hope it worked lol.**


End file.
